Recessed lighting is very popular because it provides light in a subtle, unobtrusive manner providing improved decor. A recessed light assembly typically comprises a box-like enclosure with a fixed illumination aperture located on a wall of the enclosure and with an illumination element affixed inside the enclosure. Other apertures in the enclosure may be present for routing electrical power and control lines or for ventilation. For practical and regulatory reasons, such assemblies are typically constructed primarily of unpainted metal (such as sheet metal) and the enclosure is usually entirely metal. Such assemblies are typically affixed to a support structure within a ceiling or wall in order to provide a secure, concealed attachment.
Illumination apertures of many different sizes and shapes are available to suit the style preferences of the purchaser. Non-round illumination apertures, such as square, rectangle, oval, etc., are often preferred. Such non-round illumination apertures are aligned with the axes of the enclosure such that, for example, the sides of a square illumination aperture are parallel to the adjacent side of the enclosure. Users of such recessed light assemblies with non-round illumination apertures often strongly prefer or demand that the illumination apertures be aligned parallel to a wall or axis of the room, or that they be in some other particular alternate alignment.
Obtaining a desired (i.e., parallel or particular alternate) alignment of a non-round illumination aperture of a recessed light assembly is often difficult to accomplish when securing the recessed light assembly within a ceiling or wall because the support structure may be out of alignment or may not have the desired particular alignment and/or the light assembly may be installed improperly. Further, aligning a non-round illumination aperture in a particular alternate alignment (e.g., 45 degrees from parallel to a wall) is often not possible or is difficult and/or imprecise using a conventional recessed light assembly having a fixed illumination aperture.
When a conventional recessed light assembly is installed in a misaligned orientation, the user must uninstall and reinstall the entire assembly in order to properly align the illumination aperture. This increases the work necessary for proper installation, the costs of such installation, and the wear and damage to the support structure and recessed light assembly.
To increase the efficiency, precision and flexibility of the installation of recessed light assemblies it is therefore desired to have a recessed light assembly with an illumination aperture that is rotatable independently of the enclosure so that adjustments to the alignment of the illumination aperture can be made after installation of the recessed light assembly without having to reinstall the entire assembly and so that a particular desired alignment can be easily obtained. It is also desired that the position of the illumination element within the enclosure is movable with the aperture, independently of the enclosure.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a recessed light assembly that has an illumination aperture that can be rotated independently of the enclosure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a recessed light assembly having an illumination aperture that can be rotated in an easy and efficient manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a recessed light assembly having an illumination aperture that can be rotated after the assembly has been installed to the support structure.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a recessed light assembly that has an illumination element that can be rotated independently of the light housing.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a recessed light assembly that has an illumination element which rotates together with the rotatable illumination aperture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a recessed light assembly that is economical to manufacture.